Onza “Tensile” Freewheel: Update
May 6th, 2008 by Guitar TedAwhile back I introduced you all to the Onza Tensile freewheel for single speeding enjoyment. Oh, and I do love to single speed! I slapped that Tensile freewheel on one of my 29″ers and set to riding it right away.
I was fairly impressed with how it engaged and also on how quiet it was. I figured it might be a buzz factory what with 60 engagement points and six pawls bouncing around inside that hardened cro-moly shell. The first few short rides didn’t show up any faults, so I decided a long distance training ride was in order back in early April.
Well, the ride was on a day when it was 35 degrees Fahrenheit with blowing snow/sleet, and very wet gravel roads, borderlining on mud in several places. With a 25mph wind whipping the slop all over the place, I really soaked the Tensile freewheel in some mucky-muck, in limestone flavor!
The day after the ride, I went to check on the bike and discovered that the freewheel was frozen solid! So, I endeavored to overhaul it, since it is supposed to be completely user serviceable. Well, Sea Otter and my cycling event that I promote were taking up alot of my time. I had to wait until just recently to get to this.
To my surprise, the bearings were in retainers, but I still managed to sink one of the steel springs into the parts washer at the shop. I am probably going to sift through the mire once more before I throw in the towel and try to get a new spring set. (All parts are supposedly available.) I’ll not be able to throw it all back together until I find a suitable replacement.
So far I am pleased with the Tensile’s dry weather performance and serviceability, (just watch those pesky springs!), but I can not really recommend it for any sort of wet weather performance. In comparison to ACS Claws freewheels, which are similar in design, the Tensile isn’t nearly as “inclement weather friendly”. I certainly have put ACS freewheels through much worse than I did the Onza product.
For all weather performance and reliability, the White Industries freewheels would be a better choice in my opinion. I’ll report back on the parts availability and further testing of the Tensile freewheel soon.
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I retract my earlier statements about “user serviceability”…retainers for the bearings are a nice touch! That beastie doesn’t look so bad to disassemble.
I’m curious about your comments about the ACS freewheels. They sure don’t seem particularly suitable for wet/muddy conditions, either…unless you consider that they are TOTALLY unsealed and all the crap just runs right through and out of them!
Hi,
My name is Mike Poyzer and I am the owner of the Tensile and Onza brands. First of all thank you for purchasing one of our products. We are always glad to hear from someone who tests our products to the extreme. So far we have never had the sort of problems which you have encountered in over 5000 sales. However it has to be said that in England (and the rest of Europe) we do not have the same single speed market as you have in the USA and so far 95% of sales have been in the Trials bike market and to a lesser extent the BMX market. The issues in these markets are strength, pick up points and reliability. They seldom get the sort of use to which this one has been subjected. The Freewheel is clearly not sealed, in the same way that most Freewheels are not. We as a Bike manufacurer have used and still use ACS claws and the Tensile is certainly equal to it in terms of sealing, so I am surprised that you have found this problem specific to it and not the Claw.
J & B, our importers in the USA have only just taken our products earlier this year and so are feeling their way a little in terms of product stock. They have taken the freewheels but not as yet the parts for them. Obviously we don’t want you off the road, so if you can contact me directly I will ship you all the small parts to get you back in action directly from here in the UK.. If you can supply a shipping address I will get them off straight away. In the meantime we would like to continue a dialogue on how you get on with this and any other of our products.
Thanks
Mike Poyzer
Hi mike,
My name is ron I live in florida usa,and I ride trials Ive been doing so for a number of years in fact my best friend brian yezierski is our national mod bike champion.So anyway I was in the market for a new frame when I happend upon tribal zones artical on your new line of frames.Now let me just say Iam sorry,but I almost forgot about ONza because frankly what you had to offer to the trials comunity until now was not to impressive.That being said I was very interested when I saw those frames.I would love to try one,but I dont know how to get one in the usa.So if you could help in anyway I would appriciate it.Oh and by the way a couple of new trials shops have opened here in the states one of wich I got to sponsor my buddy brian,and he is now riding for uniqetrials based out of florida.I would love to spread the name onza around america again so if you could get me some info I woule greatly appriciate it.
Thank you
RON
Hi Ron,
Thanks for your interest in our products. We have appointed J & B as our US distributor but unfortunately they don’t see Trials as a big market as yet and have greater interest in our Single Speed products and general bike parts. We think they are a great company to tie in with and we certainly think that they have the potential to move our stuff. In terms of getting recognition for Trials, though, it has to come from you guys. Trials was an extremely niche cycle sport when we first got involved in 1998 in the UK, but it is now a popular street sport, rivalling BMX in certain areas and selling several thousand bikes and countless parts per annum. J & B have a huge dealer base and its through those dealers that recognition will come. We want people to pester their local dealers until they start to stock trials parts. Many in the UK have done so and now find it a lucrative market.
We already know Unique Trials and have been in contact with them over stocking our stuff. If their is anything specific you want please contact me and we will see what can be arranged. We would love to see Trials get as popular over there as it is over here.
Thanks
Mike
Ron, Mike: Just to add, there is a proponent of trials working at J&B right now, (perhaps more, I am not sure) in our shop’s J&B rep, John Gaddo. I met with John recently and he had his trials rig along with him.
All that to say that J&B is aware of trials and has at least one advocate within their ranks, so who knows? Perhaps something may come of it.